PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) DURING AN OUTBREAK

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to help protect personnel against health and safety risks in a working environment.

This could be while cleaning using hazardous chemicals or when directly dealing with patients to prevent the transfer of bodily fluids, germs or infection risk.  PPE creates a barrier from the harmful chemical or infectious agent, reducing the risk of transmitting any harm.

There is specific guidance on what PPE should be used for what tasks within a care home, this can be found by CLICKING HERE.

It is far better to have a good hand hygiene protocol in place than everyone using gloves for every task. If the user has touched their face, surfaces etc with the gloves, this will be a quick way for germs to be spread.  Additionally, removal of gloves needs to be done in a specific way and disposed of correctly..

Alongside using the correct PPE, what other measures can be put in place to limit the spread of infection?

The primary barrier to prevent the spread of germs is to undertake regular and thorough hand washing, along with hand sanitisation procedures.  This can be done by using a bactericidal hand soap and after using a hand sanitiser or hand gel.  Hand washing should be done for at least 30 seconds to ensure the soap is activated and hands are clean.

The installation of touch free dispensers in toileting or hand washing facilities, for liquid soaps and hand sanitisers, is a useful measure to adopt as this prevents the risk of spreading germs, on buttons or dispensers tops.  Along with adding dispensers at entry, exit and high capacity areas.

Undertaking a deep clean of all surfaces using virucidal and bactericidal  chemicals, with a  rota for daily cleaning regimes, is the best action for all premises to undertake.

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